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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29238780">Valentine’s Day Non-date</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lillyj/pseuds/Lillyj'>Lillyj</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:00:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,983</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29238780</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lillyj/pseuds/Lillyj</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A one chapter short story to celebrate Valentine’s Day for the Sanditon fans. I don’t celebrate this day as in wales we have Dydd Santes Dwynwen, who is the Welsh St Valentine celebrated on January 25th but this is a little one for all of you. Charlotte and Sidney have their plans for Valentine’s Day, only as usual, things never quite go as they expect.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Valentine’s Day Non-date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Charlotte was dressed in her new red dress, the perfect colour for Valentine’s Day, it was a fancy affair for her usual taste, completely fitted with a lace overlay and a back line that plunged almost down to her waist. She was anxious about not wearing a bra but as she checked herself in the mirror, it did not notice. She smiled as she checked herself before applying the final touch of her lipstick.  ‘Perfect’ she said to herself spraying another squirt of the perfume jack had bought her for Christmas and grabbed her shawl and bag to head out of the door. </p><p>Sidney hated Valentine’s Day and all the crap that came with it. It was an overrated excuse to get people to spend money. If you loved someone you loved them all year round, not just because someone told you, you had to on this day only. He hated seeing all the overpriced flowers and chocolates everywhere and you couldn’t get a booking in a restaurant for love nor money, which impacted on his business. He liked to entertain his clients over dinner, it was part of his charm. He would be going for a run on the beach to escape town and all of the idiots drooling over each other when he got home from work. </p><p>Charlotte was almost at the restaurant when her phone rang. <br/>“Hi babe”<br/>“Hi Jack”<br/>“I know it’s short notice but I can’t make it now for whatever plans you’ve made”<br/>“Plans I’ve made? You booked the restaurant!”<br/>“Ah, that’s what Diana arranged for us is it? That’s a shame, it would have been nice to have dinner with you” <br/>“So you’re cancelling again because of work?”<br/>“Babe, don’t be like that, you know how much my work means to me”<br/>“I do, and now I know how much I mean to you” Charlotte heard a woman’s voice giggling in the background and Jack telling her to shh. Charlotte felt her temper bubbling inside her. <br/>“Jack, we’re done. I deserve better than this. You won’t miss me by the sound of it and it explains why I haven’t seen you for the best part of a month” <br/>“Babe, it’s not what you think, it’s work, I’ll see you on the weekend” <br/>Charlotte chose not to answer him and instead hung up before blocking his number from being able to call her again. </p><p>Despite the cold, Charlotte was not ready to go back home, she pulled her. Shawl tighter around her, feeling the tears stinging her eyes she turned and walked toward the beach.  </p><p>Sidney put his running clothes on and headed out the door, for some reason, he turned back and picked up a sweatshirt.  Maybe he would slow down on the beach and enjoy a walk instead of a run, take in the fresh cold air in the dark. It will be quiet and hopefully free of couples in the dark.  He had his head torch in his pocket ready for the dark sand. </p><p>Sidney took a steady pace out of the front door and down the streets to the beach, running made him feel alive.  It was the only time he felt truly himself.  No pressure from anyone to be who they wanted or expected him to be.  He rounded onto the beach and was pleased that it was a full moon affording him enough light to see where he was walking.  As he walked down the sand, he suddenly became aware of a figure sat on the sand huddled in a ball, he thought he could hear what sounded like crying.  </p><p>His normal response was not to get involved.  It would only lead to trouble and he always felt awkward when women cried, he could just about cope with his young nieces crying as they would always tell him what they needed him to fix like last week ‘uncle Sidney my knee is bleeding from falling over you have to make it stop’ clear reason for the distress and instructions on how to make it stop. Adult women played games with you head, they expected you to know what was wrong and said things like ‘I’m fine’ when they were clearly not then followed it up with ‘you didn’t do ... whatever’ when they told you not to do anything. </p><p>Sidney slowed down, this lady was not dressed for the weather or the beach, he could not tell if she was shaking from the cold or from the crying. He found himself stopping in front of her, despite telling himself not to get involved.  Sometimes his heart didn’t listen to his head.  Damn it. <br/>“Are you ok?” He asked, squatting to be closer to her height. <br/>She looked up at him, makeup smudged but still beautiful, she shook her head to say no. <br/>“Do you want some company?” He found himself saying then berating himself for getting involved.  While he waited for her to respond he told himself to not speak again. <br/>“I don’t deserve it” she said quietly through her tears. “Leave me here to get washed away” <br/>Sidney felt alarm bells go off now, not his plans for his quiet night away from women and drama.  He sat himself next to her on the sand. </p><p>“There’s a few things with your plan there that you obviously haven’t considered” he said, then considered that he was not being very compassionate.  “Firstly you’re likely to freeze to death before the tide comes in, secondly you have a good few hours for the tide to come in, next there’s the issue that where you’re say, the water level doesn’t come up enough to actually wash you away, unless of course you’ve frozen to death first, but then your body weight would hold you in place and it would be quite awkward for the sea to carry you away” <br/>She looked up and smiled at him “I guess I haven’t really thought it through have i?” <br/>“Not really, would you like us to move forward to a place that’s more conducive to your outcome?”<br/>“Not really, but thank you for taking the time to talk to me about it, I’ll know for next time” <br/>“Next time?” </p><p>“Well, it’s not the first Valentine’s Day I’ve been dumped, it probably won’t be the last” <br/>“Someone dumped you today?” <br/>“Well, it’s not quite that simple.  I’m sure you don’t want to hear it” <br/>“Come and walk with me, it’ll warm you up a little, you can tell me your horror story and if it’s a good enough one, I’ll tell you mine”<br/>“You think you’ve been treated worse than me?” She said surprised.  She looked at him in the moonlight. He was a fairly good looking man, not the type you’d expect to be single on Valentine’s Day. </p><p>“It’s not just us men who treat people badly, that’s just your experience.  For me, I see you women being the problem” <br/>“I suppose so” she said considering his opinion “I was brought up being told to treat people the way you want to be treated, yet I must be doing something wrong as I’m not being treated the way I think I’m treating others”<br/>“Sounds like there’s some crossed wires along the line” <br/>“I was supposed to be going to dinner tonight at a nice restaurant”<br/>“Well, you didn’t look dressed for the beach if I’m honest”<br/>“That’s true.  I need to take these shoes off before I break my ankle” she stopped to remove her shoes. <br/>“Your feet will be freezing, the sand gets very cold in the night, it’s the water, it soaks into sand and without the sun to warm it” <br/>“Thanks,” she said, stopping him from going into a full science lesson. </p><p>“Where are we heading to?” She asked noticing they were heading off the beach. <br/>“Somewhere to warm your feet up, or at least allow you to put shoes on” <br/>“So, where’s your date?” She asked <br/>“I don’t have one” she eyed him surprised. <br/>“But you’re a good looking guy”<br/>“If that’s your standard it’s no wonder you keeping getting trodden on, it’s not about looks it’s about being able to talk to someone, to have something in common, to help each other grow their minds, to always be curious, to want to know more, to want to spend one more minute with that person and to laugh, always find something to make you laugh” <br/>“I think you’re on to something there. What are you? A marriage counsellor?”<br/>He laughed.  “Come on, this way” </p><p>Reaching the concrete again, Charlotte put her shoes back on and they walked with no particular destination talking. <br/>“Well I was on my way to the restaurant and he rang to cancel.  Third time in three weeks, in fact I’ve barely seen him since Christmas, he managed a couple of hours Christmas Day, but he was busy.  There was a women giggling in the background tonight so I know now how much I mean to him”<br/>“Well you look lovely if that makes a difference”<br/>“Not really but I do appreciate being told.  What woman doesn’t want to hear that her new dress wasn’t a waste of money” she smiled. </p><p>“Do you want coffee?” <br/>“Yes please, I’m freezing now, but so hungry too, I’ve starved myself all day to enjoy this fancy meal tonight” <br/>“Look, the chip shop is open over the road, we’ll get chips and go back to my place for coffee” <br/>Charlotte looked at him suspiciously.  He was too handsome to be a serial killer but you just never know these days.  Sidney suspected her reservation. </p><p>“I know we’ve just met, why don’t you call someone, mother, friend, tell them where you’ll be, give them my address, they can check in on you at any time” he said <br/>A serial killer wouldn’t give up that information; she thought so decided he could be trusted.  Her gut told her he was a decent guy. </p><p>Armed with chips and a serviette to wipe her face from a very kind lady who was working there, who not so politely asked her if this man had hurt her, to which they both laughed and simply said, that neither of their Valentine’s dates had worked out so they were comforting each other in a platonic manner.  They walked back to Sidney’s flat around the corner.  </p><p>“It’s a bit of a bachelor pad sorry, no fluffy cushions or flowers or stuff that you women like” he said showing her in. <br/>“It’s clean, that’s good enough for me and it’s warm” she said exaggerating the word warm with pleasure.  She kicked her shoes off by the door and wiggled her toes on the warm carpet in the lounge.  <br/>“Take a seat, I’ll get coffee and a fork.  Milk? Sugar?”<br/>“Milk and one sugar please” </p><p>They sat eating their chips and talking about all sorts, once coffee turned into three and all of a sudden it’s three in the morning.  <br/>“I had better go, it’s late” she said, yawning, “it’s been the best Valentine’s Day ever.  Thank you” <br/>“It has, but I don’t like the idea of you walking home alone at this hour of the morning, shall I walk you? Is it far? Or would you like to take my bed and I’ll take the sofa?” <br/>“I don’t really know where I am or how far I live. I wasn’t paying attention” Charlotte said. <br/>“Then stay, I’ve been a perfect gentleman all evening despite you looking so absolutely gorgeous and amazing and being so easy to talk to.  I promise to continue in the same vein.  I’ll get you a t-shirt to sleep in and grab a blanket for myself.” He said standing.  Charlotte stood at the same time and at that moment their lips met.  A small kiss. Followed by a passionate kiss. </p><p>This truly was the best Valentine’s Day non date ever.</p>
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